


Chocolate Frogs and Liquorice Wands

by ZWorld



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Age Difference, Alternate Universe - Harry Potter Setting, Alternate Universe - Hogwarts, Alternate Universe - Modern with Magic, Fifth Year Eren, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Seventh Year Levi, Wizarding World (Harry Potter)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-01
Updated: 2019-07-02
Packaged: 2020-05-31 16:08:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 12,247
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19429456
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ZWorld/pseuds/ZWorld
Summary: Returning to Hogwarts, School of Witchcraft and Wizardry for his fifth year, Eren Yeager meets a mysteriously familiar Slytherin student on the train ride back to school.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [chenziee](https://archiveofourown.org/users/chenziee/gifts).



> This is a gift fic for my dear friend, [Chenziee!!!](https://archiveofourown.org/users/chenziee/pseuds/chenziee)  
> You can also find them on [Tumblr!](https://chenziee.tumblr.com/)
> 
> Happy Birthday, Chenziee!!!! I hope you have the most wonderful day ever!! You deserve nothing but pure happiness!!! Thank you for being such a kind, understanding, and loving friend! Am so incredibly lucky to have met you! I cannot imagine my life without you in it anymore! It’s been such a pleasure to have gotten to known you! And to chat when we can!! It's always so much fun when we do!!! 
> 
> I just really, really hope I did the Wizarding Wold justice!!! If there's any mistakes, feel free to tell me, ahaha! I've never read the novels, so all of this is mostly from what I've seen from the movies and read on the wikia! Going to cross my fingers that it turned out okay!!!
> 
> Thank you to [DatWriterWannaBe](https://archiveofourown.org/users/DatWriterWannaBe/pseuds/DatWriterWannaBe) for being a beta reader!!! I really owe you big time!!! T.T
> 
> Well...! Onward to Hogwarts Express!

Green eyes widened with wonder and excitement as he watched all the commotion around him. Students and parents surrounded him with buzzing energy. Some students were being hugged by their parents, others were already on board, waving through a small portion of the windows. Some kids were already in school uniform - much like himself - while others still in their skivvies. There’s lingering steam causing the air to be hazy on the platform. Even though there is a lot of hustle and bustle around him, the steam does not fade away, nor does the familiar smell of coal and musty suitcases. 

Eren Yeager’s hands were tightly gripped onto the handles of his trolley, ready for it to be passed over to be placed on his ride back to school. They were white at the knuckles and slightly shivering with giddiness. His heart was beating erratically and his mind brimming with thoughts about a whole year of adventures awaiting him. 

“Eren-”

This was it, Eren thought, his stomach fluttering anxiously. Time to return to his second home, a place he loved so dearly. It’d be his fifth year and with it brought so much uncertainty. A good kind of uncertainty, of course. 

“Eren!” A tug at his earlobe brought him back him back to reality very painfully. 

Eren looked up, finding that they were in the front of the line to pass over his luggage for the year. Or, at least until Christmas. A kind man smiled at him, taking the trolley from his grip and confirming the final details with his mother. She turned once done, smiling sweetly at her son, her brown eyes shining with proudness and a tinge of sadness in them. 

“Come along now, darling,” she ushered, guiding him closer to the entrance of his ride; a train. 

No matter how many years it’s already been, Eren never got over the sight of seeing the giant scarlet steam engine train. It was glossy and well looked after; wheels black and clean, golden trim shining almost as if it was actual gold. They were standing closer to the end portion of it, with two carts left. A slight pang of sadness hit Eren, realising that he’d have to board the train all on his own, but it soon dissipated at the thought of being _home_ in a few mere hours. 

“Honey,” his mother chuckled beside him. “Are you alright?” She placed her hands on his shoulders squarely, turning Eren to face her fully. Her cheeks were a rosey pink, her brown hair long, passing over one side of her shoulders, and her eyes, slightly teary and red rimmed. “Don’t tell me you’re already feeling home sick.”

Eren’s cheeks tainted red, tearing his eyes from his mother to look at his polished school shoes. “Ma! Of course not!” He sputtered. He disliked when his mother teased him like this. Surely it was wishful thinking on her part. 

Carla, his mother, laughed a bit louder. “I know, darling. It’s me who will be missing you instead, isn’t it?” After a small pause, she continued quietly. “It’s cute that you’re always this excited to return to Hogwarts, no matter how much older you get.” 

Eren looked up to meet his mother’s eyes, a radiant smile filling his face as the butterflies continued to flutter. “Always! There’s no better place.”

Carla hummed in agreement, leaning forward to give her son a final hug. “Well, you take care of yourself, alright?” 

“Of course, ma,” Eren sighed, giving her a tight hug back before she pulled away. 

When drawn back, she pulled out her index finger, suddenly a stern look on her face. “And no picking fights. Your father and I are expecting less owl letters about you being in the infirmary or detention again, you hear me?” 

Eren tried his best not to roll his eyes; that wouldn’t be a good way to say goodbye to his mother. “I’ll try,” he replied with a shrug instead. 

“Well, try _harder_ this year,” Carla chided, before the tight line of lips disappeared into yet another smile. “You have everything then?” 

“Triple checked,” Eren confirmed, patting his pockets and side satchel. “I’ll be _fine_.”

“I know,” she smiled sweetly. Hesitantly she added, “I’m just going to miss you.” 

Eren beamed at her again, leaning forward to give her one last hug. “I’ll see you again at Christmas.” 

“Will do. Be sure to be on the lookout for letters. I’ll send you some gifts from home.” 

“Definitely then,” he affirmed, backing away and slowly walking towards an entrance on the second to last cart. They were beginning to load the final students, he had better hurry to not miss his train. 

“See you later, darling,” Carla called one last time as Eren stepped up onto the train. He waved quickly before walking deeper into the hallway. 

The space was narrow and it was quite humid, clearly having too many sweaty, excitable teenagers in one space. With a deep sigh and swallowing the knot in his throat, Eren trekked his way up the cart, looking into each compartment for a spot where he could sit. 

In all his years of going to school, this would be the first where he wouldn’t be able to sit with his friends. His childhood friend and neighbour, Armin Arlert, was a Ravenclaw and intensely clever. Or, as Eren used to think, quite the know-it-all. He was smart, good at his studies, and had an odd interest for runology - something Eren thought was a complete bore. Because of his good grades, this lead Armin to be chosen as one of fifth year prefects for Ravenclaw.

Following that track of line, his other childhood friend, through being family friends, Mikasa Ackerman, who was in Gryffindor along with Eren, had shown perfectionism in just about _everything_. It wasn’t a big shocker when she was picked as a prefect too. 

They were both at the front of the train, in the first cart. There was a compartment just for prefects, meaning Eren wasn’t allowed to sit with them for the first time ever. It had taken him most of the latter portion of the summer to have gotten over that fact. And here he was planning on them eating themselves sick on sweets with his hard earned galleons working as receptionist for his father’s medical clinic over the summer.

Most of the compartments were full, filled with hyperactive students. He felt their excitement and desperately wanted to join them, but he couldn’t spot anyone in his year nor anyone he could actually recognise. If anything, they all looked like underclassmen; far too young for Eren to be hanging around. 

Thus, he turned around and continued his trek downwards, eyeing up each compartment. He passed one that had a few older looking students, but it was completely full. Eight students in one was more than plenty. Eren was beginning to worry a little. Would he ever find a seat on this damn train? 

Luck had to be on his side as he neared the final compartment. He leapt for joy when he saw it completely empty. Well, mostly empty. There were no students in there, only a few books piled neatly on the seating on the left. He had no idea where the owner of the books was, but he assumed they wouldn’t mind sharing.

Eren tried to open the door only to be disappointed that it was locked shut. He tried pulling vigorously, even growling as his fingers gripped the holder. Groaning in frustration, he whipped out his wand and held it up to the door handle. 

“ _Alohomora_ ,” he called out. It did nothing. No sound, no spark, nothing. Pulling his face into disgust and running a hand over his hair, he tried to open the door forcefully again and it still wouldn’t budge. It took him a few more swishes and flicks, getting more and more frustrated after each enchantment. Only after the 26th charm did he _finally_ hear the click of a lock. It shocked him so much, his green eyes nearly bulged out of his sockets comically. 

“Yes!” He rejoiced, pulling the door open, clambering in, closing it and picking the seat that wasn’t occupied. 

Eren looked around the compartment in amazement as he’d never been in one that was as empty. This one in particular looked really clean. In fact, even the velvety red seats felt brand new, plush, and extremely soft. The armrests looked new too, something that he’s never seen before in previous compartments as they were usually worn from years of usage. 

It smelt of something similar to a dish his mother used to make. What was it called again? Lemongrass? He wasn’t so sure. Although, as Eren settled comfortably, he noticed quite a chill in the air. It was quite a contrast to what the hallway had felt like, so he dug into his satchel for his cloak for extra warmth. It was strange, he thought. It felt so lonely and cold not to be with his friends. He couldn’t help but wonder when the person who the books belonged to would join him. He wanted to at least talk to someone about the upcoming school year. 

Just as Eren was pulling on his cloak, there was an announcement that all students should be seated immediately, the train was about to depart in two minutes. The excited jitters all came rushing back then. He couldn’t wait to be back in his school bed, eat delicious food, learn new charms and potions, and perhaps get a little better at his Defence against the Dark Arts classes - he nearly failed those last year - and to spend endless hours with Mikasa and Armin in the study halls. Hopefully this year they could go to Hogsmeade more often and drink more butterbeers to avoid responsibilities. Or, Eren could, Armin and Mikasa could take their books along if they really wanted to. 

Eren’s train of thought came to an abrupt halt when the compartment door suddenly got pushed open, revealing a fellow student in uniform with a terrifying scowl on his face. His eyes were grey, almost the colour of silver, his thin black eyebrows pinched lowly and his pink lips pursed, clearly very angry to have found Eren sitting there. 

“Oi,” the student spat. “What the fuck?” 

Eren stared shell shocked, heart suddenly hammering in his chest. Was he maybe not supposed to have gone into this compartment? Was it perhaps locked for a reason? Was it because of this scary looking student? Was this a private room? No, that couldn’t be it, there weren’t anything like that on the Hogwarts Express.

“Uh...” Eren stammered, unable to gather a proper response. He lifted his hand to rub at his cheek, unsure. 

“How the hell did you get in here, brat?” The student demanded, his voice deep and clearly ticked off. Eren was beginning to wonder if he’d make it out of this train alive - this student looked purely evil. So, he decided to reply honestly, as to not upset him further, for whatever reason. 

“Alphom-” Eren’s voice died down as the frown deepened. He swallowed anxiously. Yeap, he decided, definitely not getting out alive at this rate. 

“Final warning, train will be departing in one minute.” The intercom sounded. 

The angry student clicked his tongue, stepping in to close the door and slip into his seat. He sat closer to the door on the opposite side of Eren and looked extremely rigid. It was almost like he was uncomfortable for Eren to be there. 

With a final toot, the train began to move. Eren peeled his eyes off from the angry student to look at the window to his right, taking in the sights as they left Kings Cross station and began to travel through London. The beginning of the ride always got him most excited. True, it was a long journey, especially without his friends, but he knew it off by heart by now. He knew what sights to look out for to more or less locate how much further they had to go. 

“How the hell did you get past my locked charm?” The student asked, breaking Eren from his wondrous stare. “It was even a strong one.”

Eren couldn’t help but laugh, turning back to look at the student. “It took me a couple of tries. You were pretty set on not getting anyone in here.” 

“For a reason, kid,” the student scoffed, crossing his arms with yet another frown. 

“And that reason is…..?” Eren asked, a small smile on his lips as he kept watching. 

“Quietness,” he replied. “This damn train is too fucking noisey, never-mind the incompetent charms being sputtered about.” 

“But!” Eren protested, sitting up and leaning towards the other. “Everyone’s excited! How can you not be!?”

The student raised an eyebrow at Eren, looking at him in a mocking gesture. “When you’re in seventh form, the _fun_ fucking wears off.” 

Ah, Eren thought. He leaned back against the plush cushions, mulling it over. The student was older than him. He certainly didn’t look it. If anything, he seemed younger because of his shorter structure. Then again, with having such a sour face as he did, the student looked like he was almost too old for Hogwarts. 

“That’s a shame on your part,” Eren snickered. “Well, I needed a seat, so you’re stuck with me for now.” 

The student clicked his tongue again, sighing as he fidgeted in the seat. After a couple of moments of silence, he finally spoke up. “As long as you’re quiet, you can stay in _my_ compartment. One fucking peep and I’m kicking your shitty ass out.” 

Eren wrinkled his nose, a little annoyed himself by this rude person. Why was this student so forthcoming about this being _his_? It wasn’t like he had his name written all over. But, for needing a place to sit, Eren agreed. Sure, it’s going to be a long and boring ride, but he’d just have to make due. 

As the train moved in a steady pace, the scenery now of rolling hills of greenery, Eren eventually grew bored and went on to curiously inspect the grumpy seventh year a little further. He found the student reading a softcover book. The book was a maroon colour and Eren was sure there was a picture of a broom on it. The student was still sitting up straight as anything with his head facing downwards to the book he was holding on his lap. 

He was strikingly pale, almost as if he rarely saw the sun. Granted, the books and his seemingly foul-personality made Eren think that he most likely not got out of the house much. Probably didn’t even have any friends either. His hair was jet black, short and shaved at the back in something Eren only really saw ‘hip’ muggles wear these days. Was this student perhaps a half blood too? Or muggle born like Armin? Did he coexist with muggles like Eren and his friends? His hair parted more on the right side of his forehead, falling over and hiding his eyebrows and eyes as he continued to read. His nose looked sharp, but, dare Eren admit, a little cute. So were his thin pink lips, still pursed in a frown. Sure, he was small and most definitely shorter than Eren, but the same could not be said about the broad shoulders and nicely sculpted forearms. He looked strong and that made Eren swallow a little nervously. He raked his eyes over the pale skin, to the white school shirt only to land on a green and silver striped tie, indicating that he was in Slytherin. 

_Slytherin._

Figures.

He most definitely had Slytherin written all over him. Looks and personality. Eren didn’t usually hang around the average Slytherin. Often times, they were the ones that were being mean to Armin which essentially lead to Eren being stuck in detention because of all the fights he got into. Thus, he usually avoided them if he wasn’t around the very few he did know - such as Annie who often got into trouble too because of Armin. 

But yet, Eren couldn’t keep his eyes off this student. There was something about him that Eren couldn’t decipher. He almost seemed familiar, like Eren has seen him before. Perhaps he had, most likely within the school grounds. Although, it seemed more than that. Like he should know already why this guy was so angry by the disturbance. It was like Eren’s heart was urging him to invade his space even further, just to see what the Slytherin would do. 

Eren kept pondering, eyebrows drawing in confusion and humming quietly to himself. It clearly was a bit too loud as suddenly the student’s head moved up a little, silver eyes flicking to meet Eren’s green ones. Eren gasped, heart suddenly hammering. Biting his bottom lip, he looked away quickly, to rest his elbow on the window sill and stare out. He felt his cheeks grow hot, a little ashamed at being caught staring. With bated breath, he kept his eyes straight, not daring to see if the student was watching him still. Only after a few minutes of no questions being asked, he let it out, feeling a little more relaxed. 

\--

It was around two hours into the train ride when Eren’s most favourite part of the entire journey occurred. _Honeydukes Express_. Usually it’d be much sooner, but since he was in the second to last cart, he figured it probably took the trolley lady a while to get to them. 

With a knock on the glass door, Eren beamed a bright smile, already digging into his satchel for the extra sickles his mother had given him on top of his own galleons. She knew he and his friends always loved getting sweets for the journey, so she always gave him a sufficient amount for the three of them as a treat. 

“Anything from the trolley, boys?” The old trolley witch asked delightedly, bright smile matching Eren’s own. She looked between Eren and the other student, who was by now nearing the end of his book. 

When the other student didn’t reply, Eren stood up, jumping towards the door with one huge leap. 

“Yes!” Eren shouted, passing over the sickles. With a deep breath he began to list, “Ten of the chocolate frogs, two of Bertie’s beans, two jelly slugs, two liquorice wands, two pumpkin pasties, and,” Eren paused, milling over the idea. So far the student he was sharing the compartment hadn’t stood up. He didn’t have a very big backpack himself and it didn’t seem like the Slytherin had anything to drink. So, being the kind boy his mother raised him to be, he added, “a pumpkin juice and water, please.” 

“Very well,” the trolley witch replied, gathering all the snacks. Eren gave her the extra sickles for the drinks after that too. It took him two trips to drop everything on his seat until she finally handed him over the drinks. 

“Thanks!” Eren exclaimed, turning around when she shut the door. Before going back to his seat, he held out the water to the Slytherin. He had been aware that he was being watched the whole time, the student having a look of disgust on his face. 

“For you,” Eren offered when the student did nothing but look at him with furrowed brows. 

“I’m not thirsty,” the Slytherin replied. 

Eren sighed and rolled his eyes. What a pain in the ass, maybe he shouldn’t have done a good deed. “Well, just take it, please?”

The slytherin student took it eventually, muttering, “Thanks,” under his breath. Eren smiled in reply, nodded and took his seat again.

Eren opened his ice cold drink quickly, taking an exaggerated gulp. He still felt a pair of eyes on him, but he tried to ignore it as he picked through the treats, eyes wide with wonder, trying to decide which one to have first. All summer long he was craving these sweets. Back at home, in the muggle world, they didn’t have these varieties and he was stuck with what they sold in shops there. Thus, the journey back to school was even made more special. He decided to open the jelly slugs first, wanting to enjoy the gummy-like texture first. Eren had to muffle down a moan as the nostalgic flavours and texture burst into his mouth. He sat back, leaning his head onto the seat as he watched the scenery fly by, savouring every second. 

When done eating a handful, he felt blindly for a chocolate frog. Holding it up in the air, he quickly opened a packet, taking the frog in one hand, he took a bite and held up the collectable card in another. 

He smiled fondly, finding yet another _Hermione Granger_ for his collection of over 600. In the moving image, she was still young compared to now. She wore the Hogwarts uniform with pride, a complete contrast to now where she was constantly in business attire and flashed as the new Minister of Magic. Eren couldn’t help but remember lovingly all the years his mother told him stories of the second wizarding war. Of the brave wizards and witches that fought and died, of the deconstruction of Hogwarts and many more things. Eren grew up wanting to be like Harry Potter or Ron Weasley. Aurors; someone who fought evil and did the right thing. But his father had different plans for him and his school grades meant that it was an unlikely future for him. 

“Bloody hell,” the Slytherin student scoffed, breaking him away from his thoughts. “So many fucking sweets.”

Eren looked up at that, eyebrows rising in interest. “What’s wrong with sweets?” He couldn’t help but notice the student was now sitting closer to him and the window. He must have moved at some point. 

“They’re disgusting,” he groused. “You’ll rot your teeth if you eat all of this shit.” He nodded towards the pile next to Eren. 

Eren laughed, looking at the pile again. “Can’t be that bad,” he reasoned. “I only have it while on Hogwarts Express.” 

“You’ve still got too many to begin with,” the student countered, putting the book down to cross his arms. 

“Would you like one then?” Eren offered, smiling a little. 

“No,” the Slytherin spat. 

Eren hummed, sitting up a little bit to shuffle through the treats. He picked another chocolate frog from the pile, opening it up. He chuckled when he noticed Ron Weasly as the collectible card, but didn’t look further as he held out the frog in hand to the student. 

“At least try one of these, they’re really good.” 

Eren waited and watched the other student, hoping he’d take it before the frog began to melt in his warm hand. When the Slytherin did nothing but narrowed his eyes, Eren leaned a little more forward. “Come on, it’s not going to kill you.” 

With a click of the tongue, the student unfolded his arms. “Give me a _new_ one.”

“What?” Eren questioned, tilting his head to the side. 

“I don’t want a half melted one from your filthy hands,” the Slytherin explained. “Who knows what you’ve touched.” 

Eren rolled his eyes, groaning. “My hands aren’t dirty.” 

Nevertheless, he got a new package from the pile and held out that instead. The student took it begrudgingly, careful to pick it up from the top with his fingers, as to not make contact with Eren. 

“Give me the card at least,” Eren demanded. “I collect those.” 

The student hummed, opening it with nimble hands before flicking the card towards Eren’s lap. Eren watched in anticipation at the Slytherin across from him tentatively nibbled at the head, deciding that it was okay to take a bigger bite.

“Not bad,” he mused. “I guess.”

“See! I told you!” Eren beamed. “Nothing beats chocolate frogs! They’re my favourite.” 

The raven eyed Eren up before answering. “Yeah?”

“Jelly slugs comes in second. Although, I think you’d like liquorice wands better.” Eren held out the packet for the Slytherin to take. Much like before, Eren’s stare was unnerving as he watched the raven open up the tip and take a curious bite.

“It’s…” The student began. “It’s not bad either.” 

Eren laughed, bouncing in his seat. He was overjoyed that the Slytherin student was liking the treats. He knew everyone liked these. How could they not! 

“Back in London you can buy red ones of those, they’re raspberry flavoured. And even darker flavoured ones, although I don’t like them very much. They make your tongue go numb.” 

“You live with muggles?” Levi asked, not an inch of interest in his voice as silver met green.

“You don’t?” Eren furrowed his brows. He assumed in this day and age that just about everyone coexisted with them. 

The Slytherin student shrugged his shoulders, breaking the eye contact to eye up the liquorice wand. 

“Oh, strange,” Eren mumbled, feeling a little dejected. “You know, your hairstyle is really popular where I’m from.”

The Slytherin looked up again. “Is it?” 

“Yeah...” 

There was an awkward silence following his reply. Eren didn’t know what else to say. It usually wasn’t this hard to keep conversations going, but this student was giving him a hard time by not showing much interest or asking any further questions. Nevertheless, Eren being who he was, he couldn’t let the conversation die down like that. Biting his lip, he introduced himself. “I’m Eren Yeager, by the way.”

“Levi Ackerman.”

“Oh!” Eren blurted. “I’m friends with an Ackerman! Mikasa. Do you know her?” 

Levi shrugged his shoulders and replied, “Sounds familiar.” 

“She’s in Gryffindor with me,” Eren continued further. “We’re fifth years and she was lucky to be picked for prefect this year.” 

“Good for her.”

Eren nodded vigorously, proud of Mikasa and Armin for having been chosen. “Yeah, she and my other friend both are. They left me in the dust.” 

Levi snorted. “Surely you’re underestimating yourself.” 

“Oh no, I wish.” Eren shook his head. “Like, it took me a few _months_ to pick up flying in my first year. It just takes me a while longer than them.” 

“That’s a shame.” 

Eren kept talking. He couldn’t stop. It felt so nice to talk about magic and school again after and entire summer of muggle talk. He missed being able to talk freely about charms and subjects, and the wizarding world sweets. Levi never asked any questions, he just kept his silver eyes trained on Eren as the fifth year babbled on, talking about this and that. He seemed mildly interested, but didn’t have anything in particular to add. Eren was fine with that. 

Eventually the one sided conversation grew tiring and before Eren knew it, all his snacks were already gone, minus one singular chocolate frog. He decided to keep that for later, near the end of the journey. Levi eventually excused himself, explaining to Eren that he had a lot of summer reading to catch up on. Apparently seventh year was no easy walk in the park. 

Eren allowed him to as Levi had been nice enough to talk to him to begin with. He ended up getting his own book; a story about a witch who loved to animagus into a cat for mischief. He settled in, leaning against the corner between the window and velvety seat and began reading. 

But as time ticked away slowly, Eren felt his eyes grow heavy. The motion of the train, his heart full of returning home, a place he loved, his belly full with sweets, and the after taste of delicious pumpkin juice all lulled him to a dream filled sleep. 

His dreams were always the same. They were always adventurous and filled with magical creatures. They involved trolls, although these were much, much different. These looked more human-like. They were the colour of ivory-skin, naked, and most had hair. They weren’t nearly as stupid as Trolls, but definitely more dangerous. He always remembered the images; their scary smiles and their human-like eyes. But sometimes, he’d also remember the blood that covered them, or even more so, the blood oozing from the deep slice of their nape. Of the roars they’d scream, whether it be out in the fields of green, or inside cities covered with brick buildings and cobblestone streets. He could always taste and smell the blood, making his stomach churn. It was usually at this point he’d wake up and vow to stop reading books on magical creatures in his spare time. 

Although, this dream turned differently to all the ones prior. In previous ones he could only ever hear the roars and screams of the trolls. But now, he could hear voices. Or, a voice. It sounded familiar and yet, not really. It was deep and comforting. And before he knew it, the scene of trolls being covered in blood and smoke vanished and he was placed in a room. He sat at a wooden table, holding a teacup - something that smelled similar to his mother’s tea that she always drank - between two hands. The room had ambience, only being lit by one lantern with the same voice talking lowly. It was quiet, he could barely understand it, and yet, he felt so incredibly comfortable. Rather than forcing his dream-like self to look up, he kept trying to hear what the person was saying. He stretched and stretched, but to no prevail. Instead, another similar voice that was less gruff began talking. It kept coming closer and closer until-

“Oi,oi, oi, Yeager.” 

Eren started, eyes sliding open instantly as his hazy mind began to reel. “Hmm?” He hummed, searching the room in confusion; trying to figure out where he was again. It took him a few moments to get his bearings right, remembering that he was on the Hogwarts Express, heading back to Hogwarts for his fifth year. 

“We’ve arrived,” Levi explained. 

Eren groaned, rubbing his right eye, “Right, sorry.” 

Eren stretched and yawned, hearing the muffled sounds of students talking in the hallway. Levi had already gathered his things back into his bag. He had also at some point pulled on his knitted school jersey and cloak, and was waiting patiently on the edge of his seat for more students to leave.

Eren followed suit, standing up to place his book back into his satchel and slipping in all his rubbish to throw away back at school. Once done, he turned back to Levi, finding the Slytherin standing by the door, having been the one to open it. Eren bit his lip, still feeling dazed from his dream and a little weird from having heard a similar voice as Levi’s in his dream. Either way, he smiled through it.

“It was nice to meet you, Levi.”

Levi looked back over his shoulder to reply, “You too, Yeager.”

Eren lifted his hand to rub at his no doubt mussed brown hair. “Guess I’ll see you around?” 

“Probably,” Levi answered. “Bye.”

“Goodby-” Eren tried, but before he could finish, Levi already slipped into the hallway, diving into a sea of students dressed in uniform too. 

Eren sighed, a little deflated from the lackluster goodbye. It suited the Slytherin though. He really wasn’t one for talking, Eren should have known better. With that, he double checked he had his belongings before squeezing himself into the hallway and out of the train. 

By now it was dark outside, the platform only lit by lanterns. First year students milled about as older years walked along the train station to the designated area for their ride into Hogwarts. Eren did as the others until he reached the moving carriages 

He saw a couple of students from his year then, all of them with bright smiles on their faces. One of them was even waving, her long brown hair flying about as she jumped in excitement, calling his name. He was about to go up to the group of three but was stopped when his childhood friend called out for him. 

“Eren!” Armin called, speed walking towards him with Mikasa in tow. “So relieved we found you!”

“Armin! Mikasa!” Eren beamed, turning to hug his blonde friend immediately and then Mikasa. “How was your trip, Arm?” 

“Wonderful! I can’t wait to tell you about it!” Armin exclaimed. “It was so hot too!” He added. Eren only then realised how red his friend was. Considering he only flew back into London the day before, his poor childhood friend was still suffering from a hideous sunburn. 

Eren couldn’t help but laugh, so happy to finally see him again. Mikasa seemed to be in good spirits too, a small smile on her face as she watched over the two. Having been caught, she nodded at Eren, privately telling him that she had a good summer too. 

They ended up sharing a ride to Hogwarts with some fourth years. Which didn’t matter as the entire ride Armin spent talking about his family trip to Greece. His muggle parents had a keen interest in history - something that Armin more or less picked up on as he grew. Not so much the muggle side of things though. Both Mikasa and Eren allowed him to continue, only every now and then asking more questions. 

The sight of Hogwarts castle coming nearer made Eren’s stomach explode with butterflies of nerves and excitement. Being with Armin and Mikasa made things feel more real, unlike when he was with Levi on the train. Now he could really show his happiness. The school was mostly black in the dark sky. The tower windows were lit, as were all the lanterns. It was welcoming and almost like a breath of fresh air. They were home now. Their second home. And at a place where they could continue to learn and use magic without any consequences. 

Once they were in the main gates and inside the building, they walked to the Great Hall where the welcoming ceremony and feast was held. As always, the room was buzzing, filled with fellow students. There was floating candles above along with a magical night sky; brilliant as always. The long wooden tables held empty plates and goblets, ready and waiting to be filled after the sorting ceremony. Professors were already seated, talking amongst themselves too. Armin excused himself once they entered, saying that he’d see them either later or the following day. It was hard to find more or less their spot on the seating benches. As the years ago by, the further along they moved from the front. Mikasa and Eren eventually found the section, choosing to sit across from their friends and fellow Gryffindors, Jean Kirstein and Reiner Braun. 

Eren had about five seconds to appreciate the buzzing atmosphere, his feet jittering underneath him before the peace was ended by Jean, the loud mouth, opening said mouth. 

“ _Yeager_ , what a surprise to see you’re back for another year,” Jean remarked, leaning his elbows on the wooden bench. Jean was a friend slash enemy to Eren. Often was also the cause of detentions too because of their bickering in classes. 

“Kirstein,” Eren gritted his teeth. “Surprised to see you haven’t gotten rid of that lame ass haircut.”

Reiner laughed, wrapping his muscular arm around Jean’s shoulders before the boy could spit a comeback 

“Good to see you, Eren! You too, Mikasa,” he greeted. “How was your summer break?” 

They spoke amongst themselves, sharing memories of the heat wave and what each one loved doing. Jean apparently went back to France to visit extended relatives. Reiner had spend most of it with Annie, who was a Slytherin, and Bertolt, who was in Hufflepuff. They didn’t get up to much, just mostly wasted away at the beach somewhere. Mikasa’s was much the same, having gone away with her usually busy parents. Eren tried not to let Jean’s extreme interest in Mikasa’s trips bother him. The guy had been after Mikasa for _years_ . The crazy part is, as they’ve grown older, Eren swears Mikasa was starting to grow insane. Just at the end of last year, she had _offered_ \- much to Eren’s disgust - to go to Hogsmeade alone with Jean. Luckily he didn’t have to think too much of it before Reiner pitched in and asked Eren about his. 

Unfortunately Eren’s was the lamest, having to work at his father’s clinic. It wasn’t anything new. Most summers he had to unless Mikasa or Armin could whisk him away in prior planning. He didn’t mind it too much; earning galleons at such a young age was nice. But what he did mind was the constant reminder of his father wanting him to become a healer. He tried to vanish that thought away, not wanting to ruin a good night of food and meeting the first year students. 

With that in mind, a group entered the great hall, all looking only a little terrified. The entire student body fell silent, staring at the little youngsters. They were all aged 11 and nervous for what the school would bring. As Eren watched the kids walk down the hall, to the professors at the front, he couldn’t help but think back to when it as him. He had been so happy to have been accepted. He had plans of being in Gryffindor with his two best friends and becoming a great wizard. Unfortunately, Armin ended up in Ravenclaw and even worse, Eren turned out to be a pretty average wizard. But, he had determination and that surely meant for something. 

The ceremony went as it always did, each first year student got sorted into the house after the school song was sung. Once they were all picked, headmistress, Professor McGonagall stood up, welcoming the student body. By then Eren was getting restless and very hungry. But, he held on through, waiting anxiously for the speeches and announcements to be done. 

“Please enjoy the banquet,” the headmistress finished. With that, delicious food appeared on the table, along with pumpkin juice in the goblets. 

Eren cheered along with his friends, finding an entire roast beef in front of them and roasted potatoes. He dug in quickly, eager to fill his very empty stomach. They didn’t normally have such amazing food, so they all fought over the best of the best.

Every now and then, Eren couldn’t help but glance a sneak peak towards where the Slytherins sat. He was in search for Levi. He couldn’t quite figure out _why_ he was so drawn but he didn’t think much of it as he continuously scanned the end of the table where the seventh years were seated. It was only for a split second that he spotted the pale face and raven hair before someone else blocked the way. Dejected and a little sad about not seeing him eat for longer, Eren gave up on that altogether and got back to his food. 

-

Once dessert and final announcements were made, Mikasa and Eren made their way to the Gryffindor common room. It felt good walking the familiar corridors, climbing the tedious moving steps, and greeting the joyful paintings and their occupants. Every now and then Mikasa was stopped, spoken to and asked how her holiday was before they could continue to the entrance. 

It felt like clockwork greeting the Fat Lady. Even after the password was given - Mikasa somehow knowing it. The Fat Lady was still cheeky enough to reprimand Eren and hope he’d get less detentions this year. He muttered under his breath how it was never _his_ fault to begin with. Mikasa giggled behind him as they entered, agreeing that he needed to learn to walk away from arguments. 

The cosy common room felt like home. Doused in red and gold, the room was warm as the fireplace was already crackling. Students milled about, catching up with their friends. Some sat on the red decorated couches, while others stood about. Eren always felt safe in here, like he could find no better place to be. Mikasa excused herself shortly after, saying she was tired and was going to head for the baths and bed. Eren did the same, finding his usual dormitory, now labeled, ‘Fifth Years.’ He went to his bed, his belongings already stacked next to the four poster bed. To the right sat his dresser with a lantern, water jug, and closed red curtains that normally overlooked the grounds. 

Unfortunately his bed was right next to Jean’s. Luckily Jean wasn’t around yet as he stayed back in the Great Hall, probably hanging out with his two mischievous and energetic friends, Connie Springer and Sasha Braus, and an angel of a guy, Marco Bott. Eren got to work, taking off his cloak and dumping it on his bed. Unfortunately it must have been startling as a cat jumped up and hissed at him. As always, Jean’s annoying black and white cat, Jugs, was yet again sleeping on _his_ bed. The mangy little thing loved to put itself wherever Eren’s scent was - or more often than not, decidedly slept with him rather than Jean himself. It was such a pesky little thing. It was a great relief that Eren had an owl, _Luffy_ , who wasn’t nearly as needy. 

Ignoring the cat, he went on to unpack, placing his things in the trunk and drawers before heading for the boy’s bathrooms. Upon returning, everyone was inside the room, having a nine o’clock curfew leaving them not much time to socialise outside of their common rooms. Reiner was still unpacking from across the room and Jean was in bed and in his plaid pajamas, scratching Jugs as she sat on his lap. The other boys in his year were doing similar things, all pretty tired from the long day of travel. 

Eren wished everyone goodnight, suddenly feeling the excitement of the day hitting him. While it was nice to feel like that, it was also very tiring. With his belly full, the dorm a nice toasty temperature and the lanterns creating a sleepy ambience, he settled comfortably on his thick mattress, covering himself in the red quilt that smelt of calming scents. 

The day’s events passed through him, particularly of the Slytherin, Levi. Eren still couldn’t quite figure out why his mind kept reeling back to the short and grumpy student. Was it because he still remained such a mystery to Eren? Was it because, dare he say it, Levi was sort of charming in an odd kind of way? What with the pointy nose, silver eyes, and very _nice_ forearms? Or was it that deep, baritone voice; calming and familiar for some reason. He’d never met Levi before in his life. Most certainly never seen him around school grounds - probably due to Levi being so quiet and, well, unique. And yet, Eren couldn’t help but wonder why Levi had been talking to him in his dream. Nor why he felt such attraction to him either. 

The thoughts all conjured into something sweet, gliding him into a dream-filled sleep of menacing trolls, soothing voices over a cup of tea, and soon enough, of flying through forests, Levi’s familiar undercut in front of him. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is the second chapter!
> 
> I apologise in advance! It moves quite quickly through the first term of school! But, it lays out all the important plot points that we need!
> 
> Please enjoy!

School eventually lost it’s magical touch as the term went by. At first the weeks were fun and exciting - Granted, they still were - But, being in fifth year meant the workload increased tenfold. Before Eren knew it, he had assignments, readings, practicals, and all things in between coming out of his ears. 

It was hard, especially when Eren wasn’t exactly the best kind of student. He struggled to study theoretically, leaving him constantly asking Armin to go over the notes again and again. His practicals on the other hand took him more attempts than everyone else too. He was determined to not nearly fail his Defence against the Dark Arts class again. If anything at all, the only class he was truly excelling in was Divintation. They were learning about dream interpretation, something he was beginning to be really interested in considering his own wild dreams. 

He spent many nights trying to research them at the library, only to find dead ends with no explanations. As the weeks flew by, the more vivid they became. Levi became the main feature in them and always wore a weird outfit of a beige leather jacket, white pants, and leather straps around his thighs. Sometimes the dreams featured Armin and Mikasa in a similar get up, their shirts being the only thing that changed. But, more often than not, it was only Levi. Or, a man who looked almost exactly like Levi but was much, much older. A grown man, in fact, and incredibly well built with wide shoulders and thick thighs and arms. Their locations changed regularly too. Often times Levi would stand beyond a barrier of metal poles, or sat next to Eren around a wooden bench inside a quiet room, or they’d be in a muggle stables, surrounded by horses and the smell of hay and leather. Other times, in flat lands of green fields, or on top of tall buildings, overlooking small townships. It was all bizarre and the more Eren tried to figure it all out, the more confused he got because they kept feeling realer every night. 

These dreams didn’t help his studies at all. He found his mind wavering during classes. Even when he walked the grounds with Armin and Mikasa, his eyes were always looking out for the short and grumpy Slytherin. Eren had only spotted him a few times, generally walking around with a boisterous Ravenclaw while wearing an extra sour scowl on his face - something Eren began to think as endearing if he was honest. Eren tried waving whenever they got particularly close in the corridors, but Levi seemed to not care much for his existence. 

Eren couldn’t help but feel a little sad over it. Sure, they hadn’t spoken too much that one day, but Eren assumed sharing his sweets would mean Levi would at least acknowledge him within the grounds. Or, enough so they could speak every now and then, allowing Eren to learn more about him and just why he was such a main character in his dreams. 

Reality hit Eren hard once October rolled by when the head of Gryffindor gathered all the fifth years into the common room. They all seated themselves on the plush couches, not really knowing what to expect. 

“Good evening, fifth years,” the head of Gryffindor House spoke, smiling warmly at all the students. “As you all know, this year you’ll be taking part in O.W.L examinations. As expected, you’ll be needing to choose a path of study.”

Dread had filled Eren at the moment, heart hammering in his chest and his hands suddenly sweaty. He thought he could put the thought of O.W.Ls off as long as possible, but it seemed like he could not. Mikasa jabbed him in the ribs with her elbow once the head began to mention important information.

“I will be holding separate meetings with you to discuss your ideas of the future once Easter nears. In the meantime, I strongly urge you to please take this time to have a good think about what you’d like to further study.”

Eren hung his head low, falling further until his head fell between his knees. He chanted, “fuck, fuck, fuck,” under his breath, feeling his head become dizzy as his nerves ate away at him. With the pressure of all the work already, adding his future to the list all but made it worse. 

At least Mikasa was kind. She sat there as his mind reeled, rubbing his back soothingly, whispering words of positivity. Eren could do nothing but hope for the best. He was just going to have to study harder. Perhaps even ask to be tutored by Armin and Mikasa daily if need be. 

And study harder he did. 

Once November rolled by, Eren seemed to finally be on top of his classes. Or, as on top as he could manage. Luckily he was going through a good streak, abiding Mikasa’s rule of walking away whenever someone snickered around Armin. It was doing him good, ignoring it all and rather spending more time in the library with his childhood friend. Armin would go over things such as History of Magic, Charms, Transfiguration and all of those subjects, while Mikasa would do what she could with Potions and the theory side of Defence against the Dark Arts. Eren was still excelling in his electives of Divination and was doing really well at Muggles Studies and the Care of Magical Creatures. They were all subjects he was actually interested in, after all. 

With November rolling by, it also meant the start of Quidditch season. In the past, Eren didn’t care too much for the sport. His interest was lost the day he realised he’d never be able to join the team because of his lackluster flying abilities. Of course he was there anyway, supporting his house at every match. Although, he never got into it as much as Jean for instance. Jean always made bets with their friends on which house was going to win. He had a knack for guessing right and winning a couple of sickles to spend at Hogsmeade. Oh, and he loved to rub it in too whenever he did get it right. 

So, it came to no surprise that Eren found himself on a chilly day standing in the viewing areas of the Gryffindor side. They all wore their cloaks, hats, scarves, and little handheld house flags included. Reiner was on one side, Mikasa on his other. They all huddled closely, fighting the biting wind that blew around them. Cheers could be heard, everyone either shouting Gryffindor or Slytherin, as they were the first two teams to battle it out. The seven members of each team walked out, swinging their brooms under themselves. 

Eren watched over them, foregoing his own team and rather eyed up Slytherin. He almost choked on his own saliva when he spotted one short and grumpy student at the end.

_ Levi.  _

Eren’s green eyes followed the Slytherin as he took his position in the air, leaving him quite central - or the position where a seeker would usually go. He was wearing the full get up; green jersey, black pants, green and silver cape, helmet, and many other protective gear such as knee, shin, elbow and arm guards.

Eren stared out, shocked to see him there. He could have sworn Levi hadn’t been the seeker before. Or was he just never paying close enough attention? “Since when was  _ Levi Ackerman _ the seeker of Slytherin?” He asked for clarification. 

“How the hell do you know who  _ Levi _ is?” Jean gibed, leaning over Reiner with confusion written all over his face. “I thought you cared shit about Quidditch.”

Eren rolled his eyes, not taking the bait, “Has he always been?” 

“The old seeker graduated at the end of last year,” Reiner answered. “I think he was originally a beater or something.” 

Well, that explained why Eren hadn’t ever noticed Levi was on the team. He usually kept his eyes on the seeker, finding that the most interesting. That also made sense as to why Levi had such nice arms back on the train. Although, he tried not to linger too much on that thought. 

For the first time in years, Eren cheered along with his friends in the stands. Sure, he was yelling Gryffindor’s name, but if he was honest, he was secretly cheering for Levi. He watched astonishedly as Levi flew about, dodging balls and fellow players as he went. It suited him, Eren thought. He was small but agile, and exactly in his element. He flew past quickly and fluidly, his eyes trained on something that no one else could see. 

It was in the moment of when Levi flew past near them that it suddenly hit Eren. His ears rang, a high pitch noise sounding out. His head suddenly felt like it was going to explode, pounding in the same beat as his heart. His cheeks flushed and his stomach churned, bile rising from it. First, his vision was of Levi flying past in clothes he knew, the next he was wearing the same outfit as in Eren’s dreams. But instead of flying on a broom, he was passing a forest of giant trees with nothing but wires coming from these strange contraptions hanging from his hips. 

Eren swallowed back the ball of sourness coming up his throat. He looked down, gripping his hair between his fingers, suddenly dizzy with laboured breath. Mikasa must have noticed, as she quickly grabbed his arm.

“Eren, are you okay?” She asked, sounding worried. 

Eren squeezed his eyes shut, mind still playing the scene over and over behind his lids. He tried to tell himself that it was stupid. What was all of this? Surely just his imagination. Surely it was nothing. He kept trying to rather picture where he was and what Levi was wearing originally. The Slytherin jersey, the broomstick, and the black helmet. 

“Yeah,” he mumbled, his heart slowing, his head spinning less as the images of the here and now came back. “Was suddenly motion sick, that’s all,” he lied, finally opening his eyes to smile reassuringly up at Mikasa. 

She was staring at him, wearing a deep frown. It took her a few moments before hesitantly replying, “If you’re sure.” 

“I am,” he affirmed with finality, standing back to how he was originally. He could feel a few eyes lingering on him, along with Reiner and Jean’s questioning gazes. But he ignored them as best as he could. 

He _ was _ fine. 

He was going to be fine. 

  
  


-

  
  


“Have you guys been thinking about what you want to do after Hogwarts?” Eren asked, leaning against a beam of the wooden bridge. The wood was icy, but luckily his cloak and thick layers of clothes blocked most of the cold. 

It was lunch time, well into December. Snow was already falling in full force, bidding students inside rather than out. It was a particular quiet lunch time, so Eren, Mikasa, and Armin found themselves wondering outside from the Clock Tower Courtyard, wanting some fresh air and not think of the few assignments they had left before the Christmas break. 

“Obviously I’m very much interested in Runology, so I’ll be continuing on that line of work.” Armin grinned before asking, “How about yourself, Eren?”

Eren sighed, leaning his head back against the wood. “Dad wants me to be a healer, obviously. But you know how that goes,” he paused, taking a deep breath. “I’ve been thinking of becoming an auror though.” 

Armin jumped suddenly in front of Eren, gloved hands grabbing at his shoulders. “An auror!?” Armin gasped. “Eren! That’s ridiculous!”

“If Eren wants to be an auror, I will be too,” Mikasa added quickly, having been silent for at least ten minutes prior. 

“Mikasa,” Eren groaned, shaking off Armin’s hands. “Can you stop wanting to do everything  _ I _ want to do?” Eren huffed. “You want to be a potioneer, don’t you?”

“Somebody has to take care of you,” she chided instead, moving to stand next to Armin. It’s only then that Eren noticed her rosy cheeks, probably due to the cold. She gripped the sides of her Gryffindor beanie, lowering it until it reached her eyebrows to fight off an especially chilly breeze. 

“Really? Auror? Eren...” Armin bit his lip hesitantly, clearly thinking. “Are you sure? You are aware of how hard that is to get into.”

“Yeah, just about everyone I’ve told has said,” Eren rolled his eyes, turning around to look down below the bridge. He already knew what was coming. This was why he had taken so long to finally let the idea slip from his lips. Of course Armin and Mikasa would be against it. 

“Well, you’re not exactly…. Adequate in the studies department,” Armin remarked, careful with his words. He moved beside Eren then, arm slipping over Eren’s shoulders.

“I know,” Eren sighed. “And that’s the part that sucks. But I’ve gotten better. Even the professors have said so.”

“Why an auror? It’s a dangerous job, Eren,” Mikasa stated. “It’s unlike you too.” 

“Wouldn’t it be cool?” Eren looked up then, a toothy grin suddenly on his face. He turned it to look at Mikasa on his right. Steam coming from his mouth as he continued. “To fight evil. To counteract all the wizards who are rude to people like muggles and muggle-born like Armin. I get so sick of all the sneers from students whenever we walk the corridors with Ar-”

“Becoming an  _ auror _ isn’t going to solve any of that,” Armin interjected. “I have to agree with Mikasa. It is far too dangerous.”

Eren swung his head then back to Armin, suddenly angry. “Then are you saying I should just be a healer like dad wants me to be?” He grumbled, leaning forward to rest his elbows on the iced over wooden railing to look out again. 

“All I’m saying is perhaps you need to look at other options first,” Armin replied gently, arm rubbing at Eren’s slightly damp cloak.

“What other options?” Eren challenged. Now this, he wanted to hear. Anything would be helpful at that point. 

“Well, your journal entries in Divination class is quite compelling. Why not go that route?” Armin tried. Eren groaned, rolling his eyes. Yeah, no. He was not going to spend his life as some  _ fortune-teller _ , as muggles would say.

“You could always go for a lower title like Magical Law Enforcement. My dad does that,” Mikasa offered. 

“Oh!” Armin grinned, lifting his arm off of Eren to clap his two mitten-covered hands together. “That’s a brilliant idea, Mikasa. It’s not nearly as dangerous either!” 

“I could ask dad what he did for NEWTs,” she added. Eren looked up at her then, finding a small smile on her red lips. She looked down at him too, relief within her eyes. 

“I could imagine it was highly based on Defence against the Dark Arts,” Armin surmised, sounding relieved too. “Eren, you know what that means, right?” 

Eren sure did. It was a halfway point. While it wasn’t as cool as what he really wanted to do, it was at least something in his line of vision and interest. He couldn’t help the smile spread across his lips, standing up proper to look at Armin. 

“Got to work on my skills, huh?” Eren joked. Well, it wasn't a joking matter, but he had his own way of dealing with reality. 

Armin beamed, blue eyes sparkling with excitement. “I can ask Annie to help! As far as I’m aware, she wants to be a Hit Witch! She’s the top in her Defence against the Dark Arts class! I’m sure she’d be happy to help!” 

“Seriously!?” Eren exclaimed, amazed at how things were falling together. “That’d be great, Arm! As soon as possible!” 

  
  


-

  
  


“I’m not a good teacher,” Annie answered nonchalantly, crossing her arms over her chest under her robe. “And not nearly as good as Armin says either.”

Eren sighed, right hand coming up to run through his untamed brown hair. 

It was about a week later since the fateful talk he had with Armin and Mikasa on the wooden covered bridge. Eren gave himself a few days to really think over the idea. He even went to the library to read up on it. Much to his surprise, he found the title of Law Enforcement much better suited to him. True, some of it was probably dreary, but at least this was within his reach. It also meant he wouldn’t have to study at every living breath he had left of school. As it turned out, all he needed was to pass his OWLs in order to qualify. This then meant he could breeze through the rest of Hogwarts, getting better at his Defence against the Dark Arts and hopefully figure out the crazy dreams he’d still been having. They were becoming quite a nuisance as the weeks dragged on. Even going as far as affecting his vision. On two separate occasions he’s look up at either Armin or Mikasa and for a split second to see them in the weird outfit from his dreams before he’d blink and they’d be back in their robes. Again, Eren tried to ignore all of these in favour of getting down to business that first needed attending to. 

It took him another two days to find Annie Leonhart. It turned out that she was just as elusive as Levi. He hadn’t seen her much so far that year since he no longer fought against the bullies or served detention. Eren thought that asking Reiner would make things easier, but Reiner admitted that he’d been spending most lunch times  _ alone _ with Bertolt. Eren tried not to let that thought run into the gutter, as muggles would say, and opted instead to ask where she usually would be. Reiner replied in kind that she’d been hanging out with fellow Slytherins, Hitch Dreyse and Marlowe Freudenberg, the last time he saw her. Eren had shivered at that, never the one to like Hitch. She had a known reputation of not holding back on her remarks. Most people avoided her for that reason alone.

In the end, he found Annie in the corridors, near the study hall. As expected, she was with Hitch and Marlowe, who had walked away once he asked to speak with Annie alone. 

Annie had her blonde hair clipped back in a bunch and her black cape draping over her, covering most of her body. Eren always forgot how short she was, and how small. But never forgot the menacing scowl she always had plastered on her face. 

“Do you have someone who you’d recommend then?” Eren asked, stepping forward. “I’m seriously depeserate!” 

A few moments of silence fell between them. She eyed him up, probably judging just  _ how _ desperate.

“Ackerman,” she replied.

“M-Mikasa?” Eren stuttered, suddenly confused, he went on to scratch at his scalp. That couldn’t be right. Mikasa obviously had good scores in that class, but she would have offered to each him if she truly was confident in her abilities.

“No,  _ Levi,”  _ Annie clarified. “He’s the best in our entire house. Rumour has it that he’s passed it previously with O’s.”

“Shit…” Eren stammered, hand falling from his head as his mouth fell open wide. He couldn’t believe it. First seeker, then annoying character in his dreams, and now a brilliant Defence against the Dark Arts student? Was there anything that the Slytherin student wasn’t?

“I’d ask him, if I were you.” Annie carried on, ignoring Eren’s reaction. “That is if you can get over his constipated personality.”

Eren broke out in laughter suddenly, surprised to even hear Annie say such a thing. What a shocking conversation he was having. “That’s the best thing I’ve ever heard!”

Annie shrugged, a small twitch to her lips. “It’s true.”

Eren nodded, his laugher dying down as tears brimmed from his eyes. “It is!” Once he got his breath back under control, he continued. “So, where can I find him?”

“Don’t know.”

Eren chuckled. But of course, nothing was easy was it? “Well that helps.” 

“He’s rarely in the common room. I can ask around, but a lot of the girls are afraid of him,” Annie replied. 

“I’d say,” Eren agreed. He couldn’t blame any of those girls, really. If he was in Slytherin, he’d probably also keep a distance and oogle from afa- Eren stopped that thought immediately. 

“I have heard he hangs out sometimes at the quad, but who knows.” 

It was worth a shot to try the quad, Eren thought. And if not at the quad, he could spend the rest of the week looking for him too. Maybe even daring to stop him after dinner or breakfast at the Great Hall. Although, Eren didn’t want to be too invasive as he had this small inkling inside of him that said Levi liked his personal space and for his routines to not be interrupted. But, Eren was pretty desperate. Oh, what the hell, he thought. The damn guy had been invading _ his _ dreams non stop since the start of the term. He would do so if it came to that. 

“Thanks for your help anyway!” Eren beamed. “I’ll ask him the next time I see him. But please help me if he refuses! I beg of you!” 

Annie hummed, bright blue eyes slipping towards the stoney floor, thinking it over. 

“If you do,” Eren grinned, mischief written all over his face. It was no secret that Annie had a thing for Armin - well, no secret to everyone but Armin himself. The Ravenclaw didn’t have a damn clue about romantic relations. While he wouldn’t usually dive into this kind of thing, he had to work at an angle to get what he wanted. “I’ll tell you where Armin likes to hide in the library.”

“Okay, deal,” Annie answered immediately. She was about to turn indicating the end of their conversation, but first finished with, “Ask Ackerman.”

  
  


-

It only took him another day to find Levi. Eren had spotted him at the Great Hall for every meal since. But before he could attempt to head towards the Slytherin table, Levi would book it out of the dining hall as fast as he could, going wherever he usually went to. 

Eren ended up finding Levi in the quad, just as Annie had said. He was surrounded by friends, all tall and a little daunting if he was honest. When the second tallest turned into profile view, Eren realised with wide eyes, that it was  _ Erwin Smith _ , the head boy. Eren couldn’t believe what he was seeing. First, Levi actually  _ had _ friends and secondly - oh the horror - he was _ friends _ with the head boy! How unbelievable! What an enigma this Slytherin was!

Eren’s strides began to slow as he neared them, his heart skipping a beat as nerves suddenly overcame him. Maybe this wasn’t a good idea, Eren thought. He was friends with head boy for goodness sake. Levi would never in a million years want to help him out now. Why on earth would he want to tutor a lame fifth year like Eren? 

He swallowed nevertheless and continued on walking forward again. It was worth a shot in asking, Eren reasoned.

“Uh…. uhm… excuse me,” Eren began, stuttering like the nervous fool he was. 

The group of six all turned to look at Eren with confusion written all over their faces. Except for Levi. Eren recognised two of the students at least, Mike and Nanaba. They were the seventh year prefects from Gryffindor. How ironic and yet how puzzling. How had Levi managed to become friends with two of the nicest seventh years Eren knew?

Eren’s smile faltered, cheeks growing red in embarrassment, heart suddenly pounding in his chest. He took in each face before landing on Levi. The raven scowled at him, clearly not pleased to see Eren interrupting their chatter. 

“Uhm, Levi,” Eren heistated. He lifted his hand a little to give a small wave. “Hi.”

Levi crossed his arms, a thin eyebrow hitching up questionably. “What do you want, kid?” 

One of his friends - the boisterous Ravenclaw who wore very thick glasses - bent forward a little, their smile a menacing. He could hear them whisper very quietly, “Do you know this guy?” 

Levi shrugged his shoulders, not willing to answer.

Nanaba intervened then, clearly noticing Eren’s distress. “Can we help you, Eren?” 

Eren chose to ignore sweet Nanaba in favour of requesting Levi’s attention. With a harsh swallow, he asked quietly. “Could I speak to you for a minute?”

“Okay, go ahead,” Levi replied, face emotionless. 

When Levi made no show of moving somewhere else like he had hope, Eren added. “Uhm… privately?”

Levi sighed, uncrossing his arms and briskly walked away from his group of friends without another word. Eren quickly followed until they were just out of earshot. 

“What is it?” Levi demanded, sounding a lot more ticked off with a matching scowl. 

“I-I know it’s been a long while since we’ve spoken,” Eren began, biting his lip as he tried to figure out how to word this now that he was actually standing in front of him. Before, Eren didn’t have the chance, but now he realised just how much shorter Levi was than him. It was almost, dare he say it, a little cut-

“Enough of the chit chat, cut to the chase, Yeager.”

Eren breathed out, not surprised at all. It was almost fun to hear Levi straight-forwardness again. It’s like he missed it for some reason. “So, Annie told me you’re really good at Defence against the Dark Arts.”

Levi’s silver eyes met Eren’s emeralds and for the first time, they held a little curiosity. “And?”

“And,” Eren dragged, smile slowly spreading over his lips as he flushed a little pink. “I was wondering if you could maybe tutor me?”

“What?” Levi furrowed his brows, curiosity filled now with confusion. 

“I could really use the help. It’s sort of the only class that I’m still flunking at the moment,” Eren explained. It was a little shameful to admit this to Levi, with all things considered. But, Levi wanted to cut to the chase, so there he had it. 

“Help in what way?” Levi inquired, lifting his arms to cross over his cloak. 

“The practical side of things,” Eren clarified, smile only falling a little as his face grew even hotter. Very, very shameful, he thought. 

“How can you be failing? Shit’s fucking easy,” Levi blurted. 

“No, it’s not,” Eren retorted. He changed the tone of his voice, begging. “Please, I really, really need the help. I’ll even pay you if I have to!” 

Levi hummed, tearing his eyes away from Eren to look beyond him, no doubt at his friends, as he thought over the request. It fell silent between them, causing Eren to grow worried. Maybe it wasn't a good idea after all, he thought. Why would someone as good as Levi want to tutor a below average fifth year like him? Eren tried to qualm the negative thoughts, but it was hard to.

“Okay, I’ll do it,” Levi eventually agreed. 

“Really!?” Eren exclaimed, smile bright and eyes wide. Oh thank goodness, Eren thought. His ass was saved. He was going to learn the best from the best. “That’s great!! When ca-”

“Under a few conditions,” Levi interjected, eyes meeting Eren’s again, this time holding them fiercely.

“Oh?” Eren gasped, smile falling. 

“We meet at  _ my _ desired location at seven o’clock sharp. I’m only allowing you an hour of my time, I can’t afford to give any more to you,” Levi stated sternly.

“That’s fine!” Eren waved off. In fact, it worked well with his schedule too. “When can we begin?”

“Once the new school term begins,” the Slytherin answered. That meant after the Christmas break, which meant it’d at least give Eren some more time to practice on his own and not look like a total fool.

“Cool! Yeah! I can do that. How many times a week then?” Eren asked. Not that it should be a problem as he was free all week during those hours. 

“I’ll first assess your abilities and we can discuss further then,” Levi proposed. 

“Guess that’s a smart idea.” Happy with that Eren asked finally, “So, when and where shall we meet then?”

Without missing a beat, Levi answered rather quickly. “Meet me on the first Monday back from the Christmas break at seven by the study room on the fourth floor.”

“Sure! I’ll be there with my wand at the ready!” Eren beamed a toothy grin. “Thank you so much Levi, I really owe you!” Eren replied, making sure he added enough emphasis. 

Eren really wanted Levi to know how much he appreciated the help. He was over the moon that Levi had agreed. Actually, he was a little shell shocked about it and knew he’d need a few hours before it felt real. Eren was so incredibly happy, though. He felt like he could skip back to his next class like he was drugged up by a love potion while knowing that everything really was going to be fine. 

Eren turned to briskly walk away from that, remembering that Levi wasn’t one for small talk or goodbyes. What needed to be said was done, and he was sure Levi would like it if he just walked away without dawdling. 

“Oh, and one last thing,” Levi called.

Eren paused, surprised that there was something more Levi wanted to add. He looked over his shoulder, brows furrowing in question. 

“Once a week, bring me a liquorice wand.”

Eren couldn’t help but laugh over Levi’s request. His eyes scrunched up and he could hear his laugh echoes in the stoney quad. It came as such a surprise to him. It was so sudden and yet so cu - he paused that thought. 

“Sounds good!” Eren grinned, eyes filled with tears, chest heaving from being out of breath and his heart soaring towards the skies. “I’ll get you the extra flavours from London then.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And now the title of the fic is going to start making sense!!!

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you liked it!!!!  
> Please look forward to a few more chapters coming soon!!! :D
> 
> And a commission in the near future of a scene from this chapter!


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